Hit Parade: "If You Love Sting, Set Him Free Edition Part 2"

Podcast: Hit Parade | Slate Podcasts
Host: Chris Molanphy
Date: October 31, 2025

Overview

This episode of Hit Parade is the second part of Chris Molanphy’s deep dive into the post-Police career of Sting, tracing his eclectic solo evolution from the mid-1980s through the turn of the millennium. The episode analyzes how Sting's musical ambition, genre-hopping, social consciousness, and savvy collaborations helped him remain a relevant fixture on the charts and in popular culture. Molanphy also discusses the ways in which Sting and the Police's music have permeated decades of hip-hop and pop, both through direct samples and influential stylistic echoes.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Sting’s Early Solo Career and High-Profile Collaborations

• Transition from The Police: After the Police’s quiet breakup in the mid-80s, Sting set out to cultivate a solo career marked by distinct genres and star-studded collaborations (01:31–05:25).
• Notable Guest Spots (04:50–08:02):
  • Contributed counterpoint vocals to Phil Collins’ "Long, Long Way to Go."
  • Featured on the Band Aid charity single "Do They Know It’s Christmas."
  • Memorable cameo in Dire Straits' "Money for Nothing," where his "I want my MTV" refrain (adapted from The Police’s "Don’t Stand So Close to Me") earned him a lucrative songwriting credit.
    • Quote: “Sting probably could have retired off of his contribution to this number one smash alone.” (05:15, Chris Molanphy)

2. Establishing a New Sound: ‘The Dream of the Blue Turtles’ Era (08:10–15:06)

• Return to Jazz Roots: Sting assembled a band of celebrated jazz musicians (including Branford Marsalis, Kenny Kirkland, Omar Hakim) to distinguish his solo sound (08:10–10:00).
• Embracing Diversity:
  • First single, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," signaled a break from the Police, both sonically and lyrically. The song, which uses they/them pronouns, served as an "antidote to ‘Every Breath You Take’" (10:00–11:55).
    • Quote: “Props to Sting—he was using gender non-binary they/them pronouns way back in 1985.” (10:51, Chris Molanphy)
  • Other singles explored sophistapop ("Fortress Around Your Heart"), reggae-pop ("Love Is the Seventh Wave"), and political commentary ("Russians").
• Chart Success: "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" hit #3 on the Hot 100 and charted high on R&B and album charts, marking Sting’s commercial validation as a solo star.

3. Sting’s Activism & Social Conscience (15:06–16:55)

• Amnesty International: His social prominence was cemented by co-headlining the 1986 ‘Conspiracy of Hope’ tour, even briefly reuniting The Police.
• Rainforest Foundation: In 1987, Sting and spouse Trudy Styler founded the Rainforest Foundation Fund, part of his long-term environmental activism.
  • Quote: “This is the rainforest in 1900... and this is the rainforest in 30 years if present trends continue. It’s all gone, the lungs of the earth destroyed.” (16:40, Audio Clip)

4. ‘Nothing Like the Sun’: Peak Sophistication and Mixed Receptions (16:55–21:44)

• Album Overview: Released in 1987, it reflected Sting’s drive for “high art pop”—digitally recorded, worldbeat-influenced, and CD-tailored for the ‘80s yuppie (16:55–19:53).
• Singles: "We'll Be Together," "Be Still My Beating Heart," and especially "Englishman in New York," which, despite modest chart returns, became an enduring LGBTQ anthem.
  • Quote: “‘Be yourself no matter what they say.’ Classy music and progressive politics—that was what late ‘80s Sting was selling.” (19:53–20:20, Chris Molanphy)
• Critical Divide:
  • Rolling Stone: “One of the 100 best albums of the 1980s.”
  • Trouser Press (Ira Robbins): “A tedious, bankrupt and vacuous cavern of an album.” (21:44, Chris Molanphy)

5. Transition to the 1990s: ‘The Soul Cages’, Adult Contemporary, and Soundtracks (21:44–31:40)

• Personal and Thematic Shifts: ‘The Soul Cages’ (1991) was deeply personal, exploring the death of Sting's father and his upbringing in shipyards. Singles like "All This Time" retained pop accessibility despite somber lyrics (21:44–24:19).
• Pop Pivot: ‘Ten Summoner’s Tales’ (1993) marked Sting’s turn to romantic, adult contemporary-focused songwriting.
  • Quote: “This was adult contemporary radio pop in Renaissance Fair clothing.” (28:05, Chris Molanphy)
• Movie Hits: “All for Love” from The Three Musketeers (1993), a collaboration with Bryan Adams and Rod Stewart, ironically gave Sting his only post-Police US #1 (31:37–31:40).
  • Quote: “A song that begs to be forgotten. Pure filler, it means nothing.” (31:40, Tom Bryan via Chris Molanphy)

6. Continued Experimentation: Country, Rap, and World Music Crossovers (31:40–39:37)

• Country Experiment: Collaborated with Toby Keith on a re-recorded “I’m So Happy I Can’t Stop Crying,” reaching #2 on the country chart (mid-1990s).
• Hip-Hop Remix: Puff Daddy’s 1997 remix “Roxanne ‘97” reimagined The Police classic, with Sting cameoing on the track and in the music video.
• Worldbeat Fusion: “Desert Rose” (1999/2000), a duet with Algerian rai star Cheb Mami, became a global sleeper hit after prominent usage in a Jaguar ad campaign (39:37–42:14).

7. Sting’s Legacy Through Sampling and Influence (42:14–53:00)

• Hip-Hop Sampling: The Police and Sting’s catalog, rich in groove and memorable hooks, became goldmines for hip-hop and R&B producers (42:14–46:03).
  • Examples: Puff Daddy’s “I’ll Be Missing You” (built on "Every Breath You Take"), Talib Kweli (“Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic”), Tupac (“Fragile”), Black Eyed Peas (“Englishman in New York”).
• Imitation in Pop: Bruno Mars’s “Locked Out of Heaven” was a stylistic homage to The Police, which Sting endorsed live onstage at the Grammys.
  • Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” also cited as floating in the “Sting aura.”
• “Shape of My Heart” Endures: Though not a big hit in its day, this 1993 ballad found immense afterlife through samples (Nas, Craig David, Juice WRLD’s “Lucid Dreams”).
  • Quote: “Lucid Dreams will put [Sting’s] grandkids through college because it is built out of a sample of Shape of My Heart.” (49:22, Chris Molanphy)

8. Band Dynamics, Reunions, and Sting’s Recent Output (53:00–57:08)

• Police Relations: Sting and his former bandmates have had an on-and-off working relationship, including a blockbuster 2007–2008 reunion tour.
• Recent Explorations: Ranged from orchestral arrangements (2010’s ‘Symphonicity’), a reggae/dancehall album with Shaggy, and annual acoustic concerts at his Tuscan villa.
  • Quote: “At this point, he does whatever he wants... every year he plays the biggest hit he ever wrote. It’s understandable that Sting feels proprietary commentary about ‘Every Breath You Take.’” (55:30, Chris Molanphy)
• Summary Assessment: “Sting is equal parts legitimate talent, raw ambition, and getting the best from his collaborators. Not everybody can do that. Like his name, Sting's career is singular.” (56:56, Chris Molanphy)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On the “Money for Nothing” windfall:
  “Sting probably could have retired off of his contribution to this number one smash alone.” (05:15, Chris Molanphy)

• On cultural inclusivity:
  “Props to Sting—he was using gender non-binary they/them pronouns way back in 1985.” (10:51, Chris Molanphy)

• On pop sophistication:
  “Classy music and progressive politics—that was what late ‘80s Sting was selling.” (20:10, Chris Molanphy)

• Critical whiplash:
  “Was Sting now rock’s most elite craftsman or its purveyor of effete brunch music? In a way, both sides were right.” (21:44, Chris Molanphy)

• On late career market savvy:
  “Say this for Sting, he knows the marketplace.” (30:38, Chris Molanphy)

• Sampling riches:
  “Lucid Dreams will put his grandkids through college because it is built out of a sample of Shape of My Heart.” (49:22, Chris Molanphy)

• Sting’s legacy summation:
  “Like his name, Sting’s career is singular.” (56:56, Chris Molanphy)

Key Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:31] – Molanphy recaps Sting’s move from Police frontman to solo artist
• [05:25] – Backstory of "Money for Nothing" and Sting's role
• [08:10] – Shift to jazz with "The Dream of the Blue Turtles"
• [13:17] – Discussing "Russians" and its sociopolitical undertones
• [16:55] – Sophistication peaks on "Nothing Like the Sun" & ensuing critiques
• [21:44] – Late ‘80s/early ‘90s: Soul Cages, fatherhood, themes of loss
• [28:05] – Shift to romantic, AC-oriented songwriting on "Ten Summoners Tales"
• [31:40] – The unlikely #1 hit: “All for Love” with Bryan Adams & Rod Stewart
• [39:37] – Rise of "Desert Rose" and worldbeat fusion
• [42:14] – Sampling, interpolation, and influence on hip-hop/R&B
• [49:22] – “Shape of My Heart”’s afterlife with Juice WRLD and others
• [55:30] – Thoughts on Sting’s modern career, the Police reunion, “Every Breath You Take”
• [56:56] – Final career summary

Closing Reflection

Chris Molanphy’s chronicle celebrates Sting’s blend of creative reinvention, collaborative canny, and knack for staying relevant through new genres and generations. Sting’s legacy, Molanphy argues, endures not just through chart hits, but through the waves his songs continue to make in unexpected musical places—from hip-hop samples to pop homages—proving that some careers truly are “singular.”

For deeper cuts, stories behind the hits, trivia, and a keen sense of how the charts work, listen to the full episode.

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